Separator



Feb. 3. 1925.

H. J. MASTENBROOK SEPARATOR Filed March .30, 1921 file Patented Feb. 3,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. MASTENBBOOK, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MES NEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SWARTWOUT COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATIONOF OHIO.

SEPARATOR.

Application filed March 30, 1921. Serial "N0. 457,039.

To all whom it may concern.

.Be it known that I, HENRY J. MAs'rnN- BROOK, a citizen Ofw the UnitedStates, reslding at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Separators,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to separators of the class which operate on .thehelico-centrifugal principle, and while my present construction may beused with a high degree of efficiency under practically allcircumstances where it is desired to remove a liquid from a gas, it isespecially suitable for separating water or moisture from air.

The main object of the invention is to provide a separator which willeffectually remove a liquid, such as water or moisture, from a gas, suchas air, and which will maintain the separation of the elements beyondthe possibility of their reuniting or subsequently intermingling. Afurther object is to provide a comparatively simple, compact andinexpensive constructlon designed to expedite and cheapen manufacture,and facilitate assembly and installation.

In the drawing accompanying and form'- ing a part hereof, Fig. 1 is acentral vertical section through the separator in a plane coincidentwith the axis of the pipe line wherein the separator is installed; andFig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The head of the separator is designated 1 and it encloses the separatingchamber 2. An ingress pipe 3 has communicative connection with theseparating chamber through a tubular extension 4, and an egress pipe 5has similar connection with the chamber through a tubular boss 6.

The extension 4 is of suflicient length to accommodate a helical vein 7,known ordinarily as a helix or worm and projecting into the chamber 2 inaxial alignment with the extension 4 is a nozzle 8, the inner proachesthe inner end of the nozzle where it flares abruptly and meets the outerwall in a comparatively sharp edge. Opposite the nozzle 8 is a neck 10which joins the wall of the head in alignment with the boss 6, and thisneck is provided with a groove or gutter 11.

The separating chamber 2 opens at its lower side into a drip pot 12,which, in the present instance, is formed of a pipe of suitable lengthand diameter that is screwed into the head and has afitting 14 appliedto its lower end. This fitting is shown as equipped with a petcock 15,although, in some installations it may be found desirable to connect thefitting to a waste pipe (not shown). This is purely a matter ofcircumstances and pertains to methods of installation and has no bearingupon the invention.

Considering now the operation of the de-' vice, pipes 3 and 5 may beconsidered an air line within which the separator is installed, thedirection of flow being indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The moistureladen air from pipe 3 impinges against the helical vein 7 with theresult that it is given a rotating or swirling motion; and the water ormoisture in theair, by reason of its superior weight over that of theair, is, by centrifugal force, thrown against the gradually divergingwall of the nozzle 8. The water or moisture travels along this walluntil it reaches the sharp edge at the inner end of the nozzle fromwhere it is thrown into the separating chamber 2. The air, however,because of its extreme lightness, is practically unaffected by thecentrifugal action so that it continues on in an unbroken column to theneck 10 through which it passes to the pipe 5. The fact that the innerend of the nozzle 8 terminates in a comparatively sharp edge precludesthe ac cumulation of moisture thereon, whereas, if the end of the nozzlepresented an area whereon the moisture was allowed to gather in beads ordrops, it would be likely to fall into the column of air and" be carriedon through the separator to the egress pipe 5. Should drops of waterform to a slight degree about the inner edge of the nozzle, those alongits upper portion would be thrown back over the edge of the nozzle ontothe tapered outer wall and be deflected thereby wall whereof divergesgradually as it apit will be conducted by the groove or gutter 11 to thelower portion of the chamber and thence to the drip pot. The petcock 15may be left slightly open at all times if desired so as to permit thewater accumulating in the drip pot to drain out; or it may be keptclosed normally and opened when necessary for the purpose of dischargingthe contents of the pot; or, as an alternative, and as hereinbeforestated, a waste pipe may be connected to the lower end of the drip potshould the requirements of the particular installation so dictate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a separator ofthe class described, a head enclosing a separating chamber having aninlet passageway and an outlet opening, a helix disposed within theinlet passageway and spaced from the inner end thereof, the wall of thepassageway inwardly of the helix diverging toward the inner end of thepassageway, and a neck communicating with and extending inwardly fromthe outlet passageway, and having its inner end disposed opposite theinlet passageway, the outer wall of said neck in the region of its innerend converging toward said end.

2. In a separator of the class described, a head enclosing a separatingchamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, a helix disposedwithin the inlet opening, a nozzle registering with and extendinginwardly from the inlet opening, the inner wall of the nozzle diverginggradually toward the inner end of the nozzle, the inner end of said wallbeing flared abruptly to define a comparatively sharp edge, and a neckcommunicating with and extending inwardly from the outlet opening andhaving its inner end disposed opposite the inner end of the nozzle, theouter wall of the neck in the region of its inner end converging towardsaid inner end.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

HENRY J. MASTENBROOK.

